Steering attachment for the tiller of an outboard motor



A fi OUTBOARD MOTOR March 11, 1958 w. J. WlTTlCK STEERING ATTACHMENT FOR THE TILLER OF Filed. April '19, 1954 INVENTOR. W41. 775R J W/rr/cK *WMM United States Pat- 2,826,088 1C6 nied lvla 11, 1958 QSTEERING ATTACHMENT FGR- THE TILLER OF AN OUTBOARD MOTOR Walter J. Wittick, Cambridge, Iowa ApplicatianiApril '19,1954ySerial No. 423,941 1 Claim. (CL; 74-1479) 'ljhis invention relates. generally ,to tillers for outboard motors and m particular to. an arm-steering, attachment for the tillers.

Qutboard motors, commonlyused for fishing boats and the l ke, generally include, a tiller which is gripped in one hand-,and then manipulated for. boat steering purposes.

I When the boat is in movement duringfishing the motor operator merely holds the tiller in one ntiller. vEither .procedure involves appreciable inconvenience and the loss of a free maneuverability not only :of; the boat,tbut ofthe tish rod and reel therefor.

It is an object fthis 'inyention therefore, to provide an arm-steering attachmentfor the tiller of an outboard motor.

Another object of this invention is to provide an aimsteermg attachment for the tiller of an outboard motor which is of a simple construction, easily and quickly installed on most any tiller regardless of the type of outboard motor, and capable of providing for a convenient steering of the boat while leaving both hands of the motor operator free for the handling of a rod and reel, the securing of a bait to the line and like fishmg maneuvers.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear end of a boat, showing an outboard motor having the steering attachment of this invention assembled on the tiller thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the steering attachment;

P Fig. 3 is a sectional view as seen on the line 3-3 in Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a clamping band which forms part of the attachment of this invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a spring washer which forms part of the attachment of this invention; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the steering attachment of this invention, illustrated similarly to Fig. 2.

With reference to the drawing there is illustrated in Fig. 1 a boat 10 equipped with an outboard motor 11 having a tiller or steering lever 12 provided with a hand grip 13. As is well known, the motor 11 is rotatable on a base 14, which is clamped as at 16, to the rear end 17 of the boat 10. For steering purposes the entire motor 11 is rotated in response to a movement of the tiller 12 in a horizontal plane.

The arm-steering attachment of this invention, designated generally at 15, is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 as ..g i c u in e-me h n -au hapebrack t 11$,.-. n

a flexible clamping band21. ;Thelbase;member 18 is ,ofa substantially dometshapehaying. artflat top surface H22, and. a; bottom.side formedaw tln a; pair ofi oppositely r n d r etreq sses ort tch sz The bracket, 19. has ,the leg .sections 24, .thereof of a length and .spaced aparha distanceqso asrto comfortably receive an arm therebetween. The base; section26aof the. bracket or .U-member; 19.,is formed 1 at the central .;portion; .of. its underside..-w1th-.a flat surfaee:27: for rest- -.ing. or bearing. engagement-with, 1 (Figs. 2,and

aspring .washer 20 .5 )1. arranged between: the surface 27 and the top surface 22 of the base member 18. To rotatably ,supportthe bracket.: 19 for'rotation erelati-ve to the base through the base. section member .18 there. is provided a-screw 28 extended 26.,at the' bearing. surface: 27,

Hand through, the basepmemberl8at its .flat.. top surface 22. The screw .ZS-Ahasa head member. 29and ashank .portion integrally formed with aand a reduced threaded. section section 31abeing of" a section 26, and {washer 32 being. extendedjnto ,the base member 18.

hearing member 31 3 2, with the bearing lengthztoextend through the base .20 and. with :the threaded section ..As shown in, Fig.4 the clamping bandZI-is formed of a fiat.,flexiblematerial.;and.,has. .a; nut 33 .welded at ,one end 34 so. asto .projectvlaterally from one side 36 thereof, .with the;.nut-33.,.being ,in co-axial alignment with an opening 37.; formed-at thebandend 34. .The 30, otherend section, 38,,of, theband 21 .is formed with a series of ,spaced ho1es 39 which,,are,-selectively aligned with the holei .37 ,in the band end134. Thus on aligning holes-'39 with'the opening37 the size of the band 21 is readily changed, and with this adjustment taking place by virtue of the overlapping relation of the end section 38 with the end 34 of the band.

The overlapped portion of the band 21 is received within the base member 18, from the underside thereof, and the threaded section 32 of the screw 28 is extended through a hole 39, and the hole 37 for threaded engagement with the nut 33. On tightening of the screw 28 the surface portions 22 and 27 are brought into bearing engagement with opposite sides of the spring washer 20, and with the length of the bearing section 31 limit ing the compression of the washer 20 to the desired amount when the nut 33 is tight. In other words, when the nut 33 is tight the bearing engagement of the washer 20 with the surface portion 27 of bracket 19 yieldably restrains a free rotation of the bracket 19 about the bolt bearing portion 31. The screw head 29 and a locking washer 41 for the screw 28 (Fig. 2) are positioned within a recess 42 formed in the top side 43 of the base section 26 so as to be substantially within the dimensional confines of the base section 26.

In the assembly of the attachment 15 with the tiller 12, the clamping band 21 is initially adjusted so as to fit snugly about the tiller. The base member 18 is then positioned over the overlapped portion of the band 21 with the arcuate recesses 23 arranged transversely of the tiller. On tightening of the screw 28 within the nut 33 the terminal end 44 of the screw engages the tiller, which is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereby to draw the clamping band 21 into positive frictional engagement with the tiller.

For steering purposes, the arm of the motor operator is received between the legs 24 of the bracket 19, in a supported position on the base section 26. By virtue of the rotatable support of the bracket 19 on the base member 18, for rotation in a plane extended longitudinally of the tiller 12, the tiller 12 is freely movable while permitting a free use of both hands of the motor operator. As a result of the yieldable restraining action of the washer 20 on the bracket 19, a positive control ing member 49 below and adjacent to the tiller 12. Upon of the tiller 12 is maintained even when a fishing opertlghtenihg f the bolt 56 the Portions 59 0f the pation requires the use of both of the operators hands ing member 49 are drawn into positive frictional engageon his fish rod and a consequent rotation of the bracket ment with the tiller 12 to firmly clamp the tiller 12 19 relative to the tiller 12. between the base member 46 and the portions 50 of the In the modified form of steering attachment shown clamping m r 49 below the g 47 0f the base in Fig. 6, and indicated generally at 15a, the U-shape The attachment 15a is used with the tiller 12 in a bracket 19a is identical with the U-shape bracket 19 of manner identical to that above described in connection the attachment 15. The base member 46 for the attachwith the use of the attachment 15. ment 15a is indentical with the base member 18 for the Although the invention has been described with attachment 15, except that the transversely spaced legs respect to several embodiments thereof, it is to be under- 47 of the base member 46 are provided at their upper stood that it is not to be so limited since changes can ends with laterally extended slots 48. Parts of the attachbe made therein which are within the full intended scope ment a which are identical with like parts on the of this invention as defined by the appended claim. attachment 15 are therefore designated with like numerals 15 I claim: having the sufiix a. For use with the tiller of an outboard motor, an Inserted through the slots 48 in the base 46 is a clamparm-steering attachment for said tiller comprising a ing member 49, formed of a fiat flexible material, and base member having an arcuate recessed portion in the having a series of openings 52 spaced longitudinally of lower side thereof for resting on the tiller, a U-shape the member 49. End portions 50 of the member 49 are arm-receiving member having leg sections and a base extended downwardly along the outer sides of the base section, means for rotatably supporting said U-member member legs 47 so that their terminal ends 51 are at the base section thereof on said base member for rotapositioned opposite each other below the base member tion in a plane extended longitudinally of said tiller, 46. A bolt 53 projected downwardly through the bracket and means for securing said base member to said tiller. 1%, washer 20a, base member 46 and a central one of the openings 52 in the clamp member 49 has a nut 54 References Cited in the file of this Patent engageable with the lower side of the clamping member UNITED STATES PATENTS 49 to maintain these parts in assembly relation. In the assembly of the attachment 15a with the tiller 5 g 5] 3 1 12, the portions 59 of the clamping member 49 are an rs e ay 43,490 England Feb. 27, 1951 arranged on opposite sides of the tiller 12 with the 2 553 204 Mu h rp y May 15, 1951 arcuate recesses 23a in the base member 46 arranged transversely of the tiller. A bolt 56 is extended through FOREIGN PATENTS a. pair of transversely aligned openings 52 in the clamp- 479,565 Great Britain Feb. 8, 1938 

